Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

1/2 day
Athens
en

An exciting 4-hour private walking tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis museum!

Archeology
Architecture

In the company of your state-licensed "Insider" guide, you will be able to retrace historical footprints, immerse yourself in the richness of centuries-old Greek civilization and explore the city's impressive archaeological heritage.

Step back in time and reflect on the splendor, power and wealth of this capital city, and admire from up close the unique architectural and artistic masterpieces of timeless Greece.

Highlights

Visit the most important landmarks of Athens; Acropolis Museum, Parthenon, Erectheion, Temple of Athena Nike, Propylaea
Enjoy a guided tour with an experienced state-licensed guide
Discover all about the history of this ancient city
Acquire Insider background information, anecdotes and historical knowledge
Take in stunning panoramic views

Please note that all our tours are Private, thus some of them are directly bookable for later dates because they are subject to availability. If you wish to book a tour at an earlier date please use the “send inquiry” form.

Inclusions
A 4-hour private guided walking tour including:

2-hour private guided tour to the Acropolis
2-hour private guided tour to the Acropolis Museum
Hotel pick-up (for hotels within walking-distance from the tour’s location)
English-speaking state-licensed "Insider" guide
All taxes

Exclusions

Entry fees to Archeological site(s)
Hotel drop-off
Personal expenses

You will meet and greet with your specialized state-licensed "Insider" guide and embark on an historical journey, beginning with a leisurely stroll through the very center of the old city, before reaching the Acropolis.

From there your amazing experience will begin, dedicated to the exploration of Athens’ most impressive site. After ascending to the top of the sacred rock of the Acropolis you will be confronted by one of the most important structures in world history – the Parthenon. This magnificent monument, dedicated to goddess Athena (the patron goddess of the city), will reveal the magnitude of the rich heritage of Athens and the cultural achievements of the Greek civilization of the Golden Age. Enjoy the subtlety of its design and its glorious surrounding monuments before taking in the impressive panorama of the old metropolis and the Argo-Saronic gulf.

After you’ve ticked off the Parthenon from your must-see list, you will extend your perspective of ancient Athens by visiting the New Acropolis Museum, which has become a renowned attraction worldwide with every floor bursting with exquisite artifacts, sculptures and antiquities.

Return to your hotel OR continue your exploration of the city. Feel free to ask your guide for recommendations in order to perfect your day in Athens.

Acropolis

Acropolis is the world famous ancient site of Athens, symbolizing democracy and regarded as the most important representation of ancient Greek civilization. High on its rocky outcrop, as its name akro polis (highest point of city) designates, it stands guard over the city. The monument of the Parthenon, visible from almost everywhere, and the other main buildings were built in the 5th century BC by the order of the general and statesman Pericles to commemorate the cultural and political achievements of the city of Athens. The site includes the Propylae, the imposing entrance to the site, the Parthenon, the Erechthion and the Temple of Athena Nike.

Parthenon

One of the most well-known monuments in the world and symbol of ancient Greece, the Parthenon was built between 447-432 BC as a dedication to the Goddess Athina. The shrine inside once housed a 12 meter high wooden statue of the goddess, adorned with ivory and gold. Designed by the sculptor Phidias and constructed by the architects Iktinos and Kallicrates, the marble temple consists of 46 outer and 19 inner tapered Doric columns, and contains no straight lines or angles, a feat of Greek architecture. During its long and varied history, it was alternatively used as a temple, treasury, church, mosque and a gunpowder storage facility.

Propylaea

The Propylaea was the monumental entrance to Acropolis, built between 437-432 BC by the architect Mnesicles. A steep inclining ramp lead up to the Propylaea which was comprised of a central building and two lateral wings. The north wing had wall paintings and was referred to as the Pinakotheke, while the smaller south wing lay adjacent to the Temple of Athina Nike. There were actually 5 entrances, 4 for pedestrians and a larger central one for vehicles. The coffered roof interior had designs in gold stars on a blue background. Over the centuries, the building served as a Byzantine bishop’s palace, a Florentine palazzo and a Turkish governor’s residence.

The Temple of Nike Athen

To the right of the Propylaea lies the Temple of the Victory of Athena, built around 420 BC by Kallikrates to commemorate the Athenians’ victory over the Persians. There was a wooden cult statue of the goddess who held a helmet in one hand (war) and a pomegranate branch (peace) in the other. The smallest temple of the Acropolis, Nike Athena is of the Ionic order and has 4 monolithic columns at both the front and rear but not at the sides. As with the other buildings at the site, it was converted into a church in 5th century AD, only to be totally dismantled in the 17th century by the Ottomans to build a fortification. After Greek Independence, it was restored, dismantled and rebuilt again.

The Erechthion

The temple was built between 421-406 BC by Mnesicles and Phidias, and was dedicated to the goddess Athena and the god Poseidon who both contested the city of Athens. It is the site of the ‘Sacred Tokens’ which were the marks made by Poseidon with his trident to bring up water and the olive tree of Athena, who finally won the coveted title. On the north side is the famous ‘Porch of the Maidens’ where the 6 figures of the Caryatides stood. The one was stolen by Lord Elgin and the other 5 have been replaced by replicas, with the originals moved to the Acropolis Museum. The Erechthion was also converted into a church, palace, harem and was bombed during the Greek War of Independence.

Notes & Clarifications

Prices vary according to group size
The tour is available on a private basis which allows further customization
Since this is a walking tour you will need to be wearing comfortable shoes, a hat and sun-block
Don’t forget to bring a water bottle and lots of energy!

What makes us different?

We offer only private tours. No mixed groups
We are absolutely flexible. Our tours can be customized to your wishes
Special requests are always welcome. We love to tailor holidays
All of our tours are designed and operated by our company
Our state-licensed “Insider” guides are thoroughly selected and trained, each one of them expert in his field
We always select the most suitable state-licensed “Insider” guide who matches your profile and interests

Acropolis and Acropolis Museum

A great way to see the Acropolis

"If you are considering a tour company for a visit to Greece, we highly recommend Athens Insider. They arranged five activities for us, and we enjoyed every one of them. They took excellent care of us, both in preparing for the trip and during the different excursions."

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From: Christopher M

Acropolis and Acropolis Museum Guided Tour

Amazing tour of Acropolis and Museum

"We booked private 4 hour tour to get an immersive look at history and temples atop Acropolis. Our guide Zakia met us at 9 am and we spent 2 hours exploring the architecture and the temples of the Acropolis before moving onto the superb museum where the ancient artifacts are laid out really well and just fascinating. Zakia was friendly individual really passionate and [...]"

From: RaysView

Acropolis and Acropolis Museum Guided Tour

Must have Nota to guide you!

Nota is an archeologist who grew up in Athens and is very knowledgeable and passionate about the history and culture. She was considerate of of needs and we really enjoyed our 6 hours with her. We learned so much more than we ever would have in days on our own. She met us at our hotel and finished in the Plaka with an easy stroll home. You should have sturdy walking shoes for all tours in Athens. Marble is very slippery! And take a snack with you as we didn't have lunch to 2:30 after a 9:00 am start.

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From: Linda829

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

A 10 out of 10 day!!!

On a recent trip to Greece, my daughter and I were lucky enough to have a personalized tour that included a visit to the Acropolis Museum, and a delightful wander through the surrounding area of Plaka/ Monastiraki/ Syntagma.
Our tour guide, Anthea, was a mine of local knowledge - from the best shops in the Flea Market, to the little local tavern with a traditional home cooked menu...wow! [...]''

From: Suzi T

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Exceed our expectations!!

Forget the impersonal long bus tours and sign up for this personalized unique view of Athens!! Anthia, who knows EVERYTHING about the history of Athens, also has a personal knowledge of the culture, people and back streets of Athens. Recommend doing the evening tour (6-10pm) due to the heat. We saw all the historic sights, Anthia took us to a local coffee shop and bargaining with merchants. Beautiful person inside and out, we developed a friendship in just 4 short hours! Definitely wear your walking shoes...ask for modified tour if you can't walk 3-4 miles in one night...would highly recommend!!!

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From: jill H

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Personalized service at it's best!

We booked two tours through Athens Insider's website before we left for our trip- private 4 hour of the Acropolis and museum, and the food of Athens tour. We enjoyed both tours and were so charmed by the guides, their knowledge and warm attention that we booked
2 more. It was so interesting seeing Greece through the filter of these enthusiastic, educated, local young people. Professional, flexible and very organized Anthina was able to set up tours at the last minute AND give us other helpful tips for the areas we visited. Felt like we had friends and family showing us around their country.

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From: cbwrighty

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Great tour with the kids

We had a wonderful tour with Marialena this morning, a half-day tour of the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum. First of all, when we arrived in our hotel, we were pleasantly surprised to find a little welcome bag demo Athens Insiders! Such a nice touch. This morning, Marialena picked us up at our hotel and spent a great half-day with us. She told great stories, really engaged the kids (ages 9 and 5), and made it an unforgettable experience. We also added on the iPad virtual reality experience at the Acropolis, which the kids loved. Great tour - highly recommend!

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From: ErininFrance

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Fantastic way to see & taste Athens in 2 days!

We did the Acropolis tour with Helen & Yannis the driver! Excellent knowledge of the history, museums, & culture of Greece/Athens! Would highly recommend - don't forget comfortable shoes and sunscreen... The second tour, Flavors of Athens, was with George- a professional chef who took us to the BEST little specialty shops, restaurants, & markets...all the time answering questions about cooking, recipes, everyday Greek life, and much more. Superb! Don't miss out on these great tours!

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From: TravelNicer

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Excellent tour of Acropolis

Our family of five met Vivian who toured us through the Acropolis and the museum. She was very knowledgeable in the archeology, art and history of Greece. The kids really connected with provided access to iPads that imaged the buildings, inside and out, as they looked when used (picture). Her enthusiasm was contagious. She adeptly avoided crowds and found us shade when presenting information. We walked 4+ miles in total. Juice break included and appreciated. Highly recommended.

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From: Michael R

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Great way to experience The Acropolis and surrounding area

This was an excellent tour of The Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, and the surrounding area. It is a lot of walking, but the pace was manageable. Angela was our guide and was extremely knowledgable and kind. We highly recommend this tour as a great way to experience some amazing history in Athens.

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From: Amber J

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Excellent Acropolis and Acropolis Museum Tour

While we could have opted to do this ourselves, we went with Athens Insiders and definitely made the right choice. The booking was easy, we were collected at our hotel and experienced a wonderful few hours touring the acropolis and acropolis museum. We got so much more out of the experience than doing ourselves.

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From: Shane1234_12

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Informative, well paced tour!

Had a great tour with Eleni of the acropolis and museum. It was well paced & very informative. I appreciated that we were able to customized our tour and adjust the times to fit with our tight schedule. Eleni was awesome and knew the ins and outs of greek history and mythology. Would definite book Athens insiders again! Can be pricier because all tours are customized and private but very worth it!

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From: Josephine_Elle

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Outstanding Tour of Acropolis and Museum

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum with Marilena. It was wonderful to bypass the line. She was so informative and friendly. Highly, highly recommend!

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From: Nancy S

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Guided tour of the Acropolis and the Museum

Visit very well commented in French by Petros who was able to make us discover all the facets of the site and make us understand the museum as well in its collections as in its architecture. Thank you also to Mariliza for its efficiency in the organization. for his seriousness

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From: Jean Louis B

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

EXCELLENT !!!

Athens insiders were great to us. Very organized, always ready to attend to our requests. Vassilis was great! A super intelligent boy who, in addition to knowing a lot about the history of Greece, is seen to be in love with Athenas and her work.

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From: Patrizia A

Acropolis and Museum Guided Tour

Fantastic

Hi, I visited this beautiful museum for the second time last week. It is rightly considered one of the richest in works (most of which are very ancient and well preserved) to be admired. Absolutely not to be missed and photographed room by room. The Top, for me, is the huge statue of Zeus and the hall full of wonderful busts!

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From: 19552014